Almost Grown Up - first and a half in the Heartbreaker series
by ebineez01
Summary: This story is part of my 'Heartbreaker' AU. It's a sequel to 'Heartbreaker' and a prequel to 'All Grown Up'. Teenage Sam is getting ready to go to camp where she's due to meet up with a certain Air Force Captain once again. She has a little help from her best friend.
1. Chapter 1

A/N

This story is part of my 'Heartbreaker' AU. It's a sequel to 'Heartbreaker' and a prequel to 'All Grown Up' (hence the 'first and a half' title) and starts a few months before Sam is due to go to the Air Force Academy camp that's a precursor to starting at the Academy, so she's seventeen in this.

What can I say? I really missed this AU version of Jack and Sam, especially at the point of 'All Grown Up' where she's a teenager with a really huge crush. So I thought , 'hey, why not bring them back for another story?'.

If you haven't already read the series, this is an AU series where Jack and Sam meet when she's ten years old at Space Camp and Jack never married Sara. It would probably be better if you read 'Hearbreaker' before this. (It's only about 900 words)

If you have read the series, I hope this AU Jack and Sam can pull you back in for another go around :-)

There's also another main character in this one too which we'll meet straight up.

Oh and damn it! They're still not mine. Though I will claim a little bit of sway over this AU pair :-)

And thanks to TamaraJagellovsk for holding my hand through this and beta reading the whole thing.

I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I've enjoyed writing it :-)

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Danny picked up the brochure from Sam's desk and threw himself onto her bed. He sighed as he flicked through the pages. Boring was not the word! Until...

"Well hello Captain!" he enthused.

Sam turned to look at him. "Danny, what are you doing? Give that to me!"

"Oh no!" he cried as he evaded her grasp. "No wonder you've got your knickers in such a twist over going to this camp...Captain Jonathan 'Jack' O'Neill is going to be the flight instructor!"

"I told you that already!"

"Oh but you didn't tell me how hot he was!"

"What!?" she replied with a frown. "Wait! I thought that you only..."

"Sammy," her father called breaking into their conversation.

"She's in her _room...with a boy!"_ came her little brothers whiny voice.

Daniel rolled his eyes at her.

"Sam!" Brigadier General Jacob Carter shouted as he barged through her door. "What have I told you about having boys in the house when I'm not home!?"

Daniel smiled brightly at Sam's very serious old man. "Hi General Carter."

Jacob stopped short as he came face to face with the boy. "Oh," he said relieved. "It's only you Danny."

"Dad!" Sam admonished. "Don't say it like that!"

"Like what!?" Jacob asked. "Do you know what she's talking about Danny?"

Daniel shrugged and glanced at Sam. "Not a clue Sir," he admitted.

"So what are you two up to this afternoon?" he asked.

"Oh I was just looking at the brochure for Sam's pre-academy camp," Daniel said holding up the paperwork.

Jacob smiled. "You interested son?"

Daniel shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno Sir," he replied. "Don't know if it's really my thing."

Jacob nodded. "Well it's certainly not for everyone." Even though Danny had been accepted at the Academy along with Sam, Jacob was under the impression that he'd already decided on one of the other colleges he'd been accepted to. He hoped that the boy wasn't seriously reconsidering a career in the military, it would be difficult for someone like him. "You staying for dinner?"

"Ah, well..."

Sam rolled her eyes. "Of course he is dad," she replied. "And then he'll go home and have dinner there too!"

"Hey!" Daniel objected. "I'm a growing boy!"

Sam giggled. "If you keep eating like that you'll be growing alright!"

Jacob chuckled at the interaction between his little girl and her best friend. He wished she could make friends with other girls, but he guessed Danny was the next best thing. "Okay, well dinners at seven sharp," he said as he turned and left them alone closing the door behind him.

Danny waited until he heard General Carters footsteps fade before he pulled Sam to him. "Do you think he'd look at me differently if he knew we were screwing?"

Sam gave him a look. "Daniel!" Then she couldn't help but smile as that big grin graced his face and she shook her head as she moved away from him. "He'll hear you one day and you won't be thinking it's such a joke when he's murdering you for no reason."

"Ah no chance he'd believe it anyways," he said as he dropped back onto her bed.

"And speaking of which..." she said as she lay down beside him holding her brochure up for them both to see. "I thought you only pretended to 'have gay tendencies' in front of my dad, so he wouldn't kill you for being around here so much."

"Yeah I do..."

"So what was with the Jack comment before?"

He shifted, bringing their heads together. "Well he is hot," he replied softly.

She turned towards him. "You're serious aren't you?"

He shrugged and she turned to face him fully. "Danny...are you really gay?"

He rolled onto his side facing her, his finger scratching at the comforter. "I don't...I don't really know Sam," he admitted. "I mean, I like girls...it's just that, well I kind of..."

"Kind of what?" she asked, her hand covering his.

"Kind of think that maybe I like guys too..."

Sam's eyes widened. "Really?"

"I know," he said rolling away from her. "I'm weird right!?"

"Yeah you are," she replied, but he could hear the humour in her voice. She leant over and cuddled him. "And that's why I love you Daniel Hammond...we're the same..."

He turned to face her. "Ah...no!" he replied. "You are a _way_ bigger nerd than I am!"

"Hey!" she cried as she twisted his nipple. "Don't forget this nerd can also kick your ass!"

Danny squealed and twisted away from her. "Yes I know you can!"

Sam laid across him, the brochure opened to the picture of Jack. "But he is a complete turn on right?" She frowned when she noticed him grinning at her. "What?"

"Looks like we have the same taste in men," he chuckled. He looked at the picture of Jack O'Neill for a moment longer. "Maybe I should come to this camp..."

She looked at him. "Really?"

He shrugged. "Yeah, why not? I mean it'll let me know either way whether I'm doing the right thing by not going into the Air Force right?"

"Oh my gosh!" she cried. "I love you so much Danny!"

"You think we should ask your dad about it at dinner?"

"Yeah sure, but I think you should ask uncle George too," she replied. "You know how much he'd love to make that phone call for you."

He sighed. "What I _know_ is, he wishes I was you."

She smacked his arm. "He does not!"

"Ouch! And he does too!"

"Does not!"

"Does too!"

"Does not!" she argued. "He loves you Danny. Most people get stuck with the family they're given...but he chose you. You know?"

That made him think. He'd never honestly thought of his foster father that way before. He really was a good guy, the best foster parents he'd ever had that was for sure. He was just so conditioned into thinking of them as the enemy that he was still having a hard time accepting that someone actually wanted him around for more than the money they made off of him.

"Yeah I know," he admitted finally.

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Danny ran up beside Sam in the hallway at school the next day and slung his arm over her shoulder. "Guess what!?" he sang.

"You're going?" Sam replied excitedly as she stopped walking and turned to look at him.

He grinned broadly at her. "Yep!" he confirmed. "I tried to talk George into requesting that I get to be in your barracks but he wouldn't go for it."

She giggled. "I'm glad you suggested that to Uncle George and not my dad!"

"Hey don't laugh! He might have gone for it," he replied. "Your dad called George last night after we spoke to him at dinner, and obviously I'm such a good influence on you that he requested old George to 'politely' enquire about you and me being in the same group. And you know what that means..."

Sam snorted. "Yeah he ordered it."

Danny stared at her and shook his head in awe. "You know you always look like such a lady when you snort like that..."

"Shut up you ass!" she said as she jabbed him in the chest.

"Well, we're like brother and sister don't you know, and it turns out Jacob would feel much better about you attending a camp where you're going to be the only girl if you have your older brother looking out for you," he said with a smile, absolutely loving the look of abject horror on her face.

"You're older than me by like a month," she pointed out indignantly. "And it's going to be more like me looking out for you!"

"I know that sugar," he conceded easily. "But just shut up about it okay? It means we get to be in the same group, which is going to be so much more fun when that gorgeous flyboy of yours teaches us something special," he said with a waggle of his brows.

"He's not mine!"

Danny shrugged. "I'll take him then..."

Sam pulled him aside. "You know you're really taking all this..." she glanced around making sure they wouldn't be overheard. "You're really taking all this bisexual thing in your stride."

"Yeah well," he said with a sigh. "I guess I've known it for a while but just didn't want to admit it. Finally telling you about it last night...its really like a weights been lifted. Like I'm not alone anymore you know?"

She reached out a hand to touch his arm. "Danny, you were never alone."

"I know," he said with a smile. "It just feels good to have you know about it finally that's all, like I don't have to keep it all bottled up inside." He took a deep breath. "I feel quite liberated actually."

They started walking again and then he stopped abruptly pulling her to a halt next to him. "Of course that doesn't mean I'm ready to actually go public with it yet either..." he said, a momentary flash of panic in his eyes. "I'm joking about it with you Sam, but I don't think I could handle anyone else finding out about it right now."

Sam rolled her eyes at him. "You honestly think I'd ever tell anyone?"

"No," he admitted. "Of course not...just, making sure."

They walked in silence for a moment before he continued. "Of course, when we get to this camp, if Captain Hot Stuff just happens to ask about me...well that's a different matter..."

Sam laughed and gave him a shove. "Oh in your dreams!"

"Ha! Only when he manages to escape from yours!"

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They were a few days out from heading off on their big adventure and Danny was sitting on Sam's bed helping her pack. Holding up a pair of her undies he gave her a look. "You're honestly taking these?"

She frowned as she snatched them back form him. "Yes," she replied. "They're comfortable and practical."

"And boring!"

"Well no ones going to be seeing them...except maybe you..."

"Now that is _not_ the attitude to have Samantha," he said knowing she hated the full version of her name.

"We're going there to learn about the Air Force _Daniel_ ," she retorted. "Not to...to...I don't know what..."

"Exactly!" he said triumphant. "I bet if I asked, you could name just about every General in the AF, list every code and regulation...tell me when the academy was founded..."

"April First 1954."

He shook his head sadly. "You, dear Sam, are making my point for me."

She rolled her eyes at her friend. "Which is?"

"You know everything there is to know about the Air Force...and then some..."

"So?"

He pulled her to him and kissed her lightly on the lips. "What you _need_ to learn about is something else entirely."

She frowned and he smiled.

"And I think that a certain Captain is _exactly_ the right person to teach you."

Then it dawned on her what he was talking about. "Danny you can't be serious!" she said pushing him away.

"Of course I am," he argued. "Unless it turns out he really is into hot guys instead of hot girls." Then he grinned. "He's got the best of both worlds to choose from with us on the menu Sammy."

"I am _not_ playing this game Daniel Hammond!"

"Oh it's no game," he replied, his voice low, serious. "It's our mission for the week."

She turned to him her eyes narrowed. "What's the mission objective?"

He grinned knowing he had her now. "Operation seduce Captain Hot Stuff..."

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A/N

Okay, so there's chapter one. And I guess you've all worked out who our new main character is...not much of a brain strain there ;-)

I'd love for you to let me know what you think of it so far :-)

Side note:

Please don't think I'm trying to make light of Danny discovering his sexuality, believe me I'm not, I know how difficult it can be. It's just that it could get real angsty and serious if I went another way with it and that's not what I wanted this story to be, and everyone deals with things differently, so I've made him joking about it with Sam the way that he's dealing with it at the moment. And besides, he really does think Jack is hot ;-)


	2. Chapter 2

A/N

Glad you guys are enjoying the story so far. Thanks for the reviews and follows :-)

Hope you enjoy this next chapter :-)

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"You sure you can handle them both for a whole night George?" Jacob asked as he deposited his daughters suitcase on Colonel George Hammond's front porch.

Identical eye rolls greeted his words and George chuckled. "I think we'll manage Jacob," he replied patting his old friend on the shoulder.

Jacob turned to Sam and smiled. "You take care kiddo," he said softly as he pulled her into his arms.

She hugged him tightly for a moment before she pushed back from him. "I will dad."

He turned his attention to Danny. "You take care too Danny," he ordered.

Daniel stood a little straighter. "I will Sir," he promised.

Jacob smiled at the boy and pulled him into a quick hug. "You know you spend so much time at my house it feels like I'm losing two kids instead of one."

Sam smiled as she noticed Danny's blush at her fathers uncharacteristic emotion, knowing how difficult this kind of thing was for the both of them.

"I guess I'll see you guys in a week," Jacob said.

George followed Jacob out to his car. "They'll be fine Jake," he assured his friend.

Jacob smiled. "I'm just glad Danny's going with her George," he said.

The Colonel looked back to where the two teenagers were sitting on the porch swing and smiled fondly at his foster son and goddaughter. "You know if they get into any mischief it's likely to be Dan getting them into it and Sam getting them out of it right?"

Jacob laughed and nodded his agreement. "Roger that," he said in reply. "I know Sammy can take care of herself...I just think it'll be better that she has a friend around."

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Sam squealed and landed on Danny's bed. "Oh my gosh," she sighed. "I can't believe we're going to be _at camp_ tomorrow!"

Danny smiled at her. "Calm down before you start hyperventilating."

Sam shrugged, big grin still in place. "I can't help it if I'm excited."

"It's good you're excited," he replied. "And to get us in the mood," he said pulling an object from his backpack. "Look what I got."

She rolled her eyes at him. "Daniel, I told you when that movie came out it was about a Naval flight school and not an Air Force one."

"So?" he said with a shrug as he headed towards the VCR. "You're still gonna love picking apart all the inaccuracies."

She couldn't argue with that.

 _"And_ , we can spend the whole movie bitching about how much cooler AF pilots are than Navy pilots."

Also not something she was going to argue with.

Sam had just gotten through explaining...in excruciating detail...why the scene where Maverick flies upside down above the MIG was so unlikely a scenario as to be virtually impossible, when Danny turned to her.

"Maverick is a cool callsign though huh?"

"Yeah I guess," she replied. "Better than Goose anyway."

"They all have such cool callsigns," Danny said. "I wonder what George's is?"

"It's Wrangler," she said with a smile.

Danny grinned at that. Old George's accent wasn't overly pronounced, but the callsign certainly suited his Texan background. "Well that's cool. What's your dads?"

"Sniper," she replied.

"Sniper?"

"Yeah, apparently he was crazy accurate with the hits on his assigned targets."

Danny nodded, then smiled as a thought occurred to him. "Do you know what Jack's is?"

Sam thought a moment then shook her head. "No, I don't actually."

"Man I wish we could find out," he said. "I bet it's something uber cool."

She raised her eyebrows. "Uber?"

"Yeah...it's a thing...I made it up."

"You did _not_ make it up," she replied. "It is an actual word you know."

"Well no one uses it but me so it's as good as making it up," he complained. "Anyway! Not the point! Jacks callsign..." he reminded her.

"Well, I don't know what it is, so..."

Danny smiled. _"So?_ So...let's make one up!"

Sam smiled loving being able to talk about Jack. "Like what?"

Danny heaved a loud sigh as he settled back into his pillows, the movie all but forgotten. "You got that brochure with you?" he asked. "You know the one with the picture."

"Sure," Sam said as she went and dug it out of her bag.

Danny propped the picture of Jack up between them and they both stared at it hard.

"Well it has to be something cool obviously," he stated.

"Obviously," she agreed.

"And look at that hard glint in his eye...and the set of his jaw..."

Sam smiled. "Oh I'm looking alright..."

Danny laughed and smacked her with a pillow. "Oh my god...you are such an easy lay when it comes to this guy!"

"Hey, you're the one masterminding 'Operation Seduce Captain Hot Stuff'," she reminded him.

George stopped outside Danny's slightly open door and poked his head inside. "Do I even want to know what that was about?"

They looked at each other wide eyed and then back to the Colonel. "No Sir," they said in unison.

He nodded. "That's what I thought," he replied, pulling the door closed behind him. He couldn't help but chuckle himself at the peals of laughter that erupted from the other side of the door.

Danny was trying to prize Sam's hands away from her face. "Hey come on would you?"

"I don't think I can ever look at Uncle George again after that!"

"Relax," he said. "The old guy thought it was funny. I could see it in his face."

Sam peeked through her fingers. "Really?"

"Yeah you dork!" he replied. "Now come on! We were in the middle of working out what Jacks callsign could be remember?"

"Yeah okay," she said laying back on the bed. "So where were we up to?"

"Well I had just gotten through pointing out a few of his more attractive attributes and you completely tarted out on me..."

"Get on with it," she laughed.

"So looking like that he has got to be the Alpha Male type right?"

"Oh yeah!" she agreed.

"So something that suits that!"

"Predator?"

"Oh good one!" he replied. "Dagger?"

She thought for a moment. "Striker?"

"Hey what about Grim Reaper?"

"Yeah, or maybe just Reaper?"

"Now that's hot!" Then Danny grinned.

"What?" Sam said nudging his side.

"Shaft?"

"Danny!" she laughed.

 _"Ramrod!?"_

"Missile?" Sam suggested with a giggle.

"JackHammer?"

"LoveRocket?"

Danny stared at Sam for a full five seconds before they both burst out laughing.

"Are we trying to come up with a callsign or a name for his dick?" Danny gasped.

"Callsign Daniel!" she admonished. "We couldn't possibly come up with a suitable name for his dick without seeing it first..."

He turned his head to look at her. "I cannot believe that just came out of your mouth!" he said incredulously.

"Neither can I!" she admitted, feeling herself turn a bright shade of red. "But it's...I mean _he's_...all I can think about lately."

He propped himself up onto one elbow and looked down at her. "You've really got it bad for this guy huh?"

She sighed and looked at him. "Ever since I was ten years old," she admitted pulling her bottom lip between her teeth. "When I think about him..."

He smiled at her, giving her a nudge with his elbow. "Tell me..."

She felt her face flame even more. "When I think about him he makes me feel things I've never felt before."

"Like what?"

She twisted her fingers in his shirt and looked away from his face. "You know..."

He dropped back down so his head was touching hers. "Like you want him to touch you?" he asked. "Like you're almost desperate for him to?"

She brought her eyes to his and nodded. "Like I'm about to burst if he doesn't."

He smiled and pulled her against him. "I know how you feel."

She pushed back from him slightly, a small frown on her face. "That didn't just mean that you want... _me_ to touch you did it?"

Danny stared at her a moment before his face screwed up. "Ewww! No!"

"Hey!" she cried punching him in the arm.

"You know I love you and you're absolutely gorgeous," he told her. "But it'd be just too weird."

"You're right about that."

Danny jumped off the bed and turned off the movie, putting on a tape instead.

"Oh this is so you and Jack," he laughed as he dropped back down beside her.

 _I call ya I need ya, my hearts on fire_

 _You come to me come to me, wild and wired_

 _Oh you come to me, give me everything I need_

Sam grabbed his hand and held onto it. "I sure hope this all works out the way you're planning it Danny," she sighed.

"Of course it will!" he exclaimed. "I just said, you're gorgeous Sam...no guy would say no to you."

She frowned. "Ah, in case you hadn't noticed I don't exactly have boys beating down my door!"

He raised his eyebrows. "Seriously?"

"Yeah...seriously..."

"Cause you never go anywhere but school or to AF stuff which your dad, _the General_ , is usually at," he pointed out. "It even takes me all my significantly persuasive powers to get you to come out with me, and then of course because we're always together everyone thinks we're _together_ anyway."

She shrugged. "I guess that's okay with me," she replied. "I'm not interested in any of the boys at school anyway."

Danny sighed. "One thing is for sure" he said as he held up the picture of Jack. "Reaper is no boy..."

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A/N

Hope you enjoyed.

The song Danny put on was 'Simply the Best' by Tina Turner. And a little angsty I know but hey surely you guys remember your big teenage crush and what it was like ;-)

oh and next chapter they do actually make it to camp :-)


	3. Chapter 3

A/N

thanks to all who have reviewed so far including the guest reviewers who I can't respond to personally :-) glad you're enjoying it so far

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"I don't see him Danny," Sam said with a worried frown as she searched the line of uniformed men up on the stage.

"Okay," he replied. "Don't panic just yet. I'm sure there's a perfectly reasonable explanation why he's not up there."

"And finally, onto our flight instructor for the week," the Colonel said. "Unfortunately Captain O'Neill has been delayed and couldn't make it to the opening ceremony today, but rest assured he will be out on the Tarmac bright and early tomorrow morning as scheduled."

Danny smiled as he felt Sam relax into his side.

Barney elbowed his friend Dan and nodded to a point a few rows in front. "Check out the talent," he whispered.

Dan looked over and let out a low whistle. "That is one fine piece of ass," he whispered back. "Dibs!"

"Hey," Barney hissed. "I saw her first!"

"But you didn't call it buddy," Dan replied. "You snooze, you lose."

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Sam was laying back on the bed in what turned out to be her own private barracks when a loud knock on her window made her jump. She moved over to the window and cautiously pulled back the curtain. She rolled her eyes as she opened it. "Daniel!"

He grinned as he pulled himself through. "Well Jack's not here yet, so who else would you be expecting?"

"I wasn't expecting anyone," she replied.

He dropped on her bed. "Ah yeah! Like I'm sleeping in the same barracks with that bunch of Neanderthals!" he exclaimed. "Seriously...you would not believe the smell! It's not human!"

Sam's eyes widened. "You can't stay here!"

He frowned at her. "Why not? They've already done the head count for the night and I'll make sure I'm up and back in the 'pit' before reveille. No one will ever know..."

She just stared at him.

"Sam!" he pleaded, sliding off the bed to land on his knees on the floor shuffling over to her, grabbing her around the legs. "Please! You can't make me go back there!" he intoned theatrically.

She tried to keep the smile from her face but it was hard to do when Daniel Hammond was determined to make you laugh. She shoved him lightly in the face and he fell back onto the floor. "Lucky you're not seriously considering going into the Air Force Danny, your acting talent would be wasted, you know that?"

He grinned up at her. "So I can stay?"

She held out a hand and helped him up off the floor before dragging him back onto the bed with her. "You really think I'd kick you out?"

He enveloped her in a bear hug and kissed her on the forehead. "You're a saint my lovely."

She let her head rest against his chest before she was rudely displaced when he jumped to his feet. "Now get your coat and sneakers on and let's go."

Sam looked at her watch. "It's nearly twenty-three hundred hours," she said. "Everything's closed."

A sly grin spread across his face. "We're sneaking out!" he replied excitedly.

"Sneaking out of where?"

"Out of the base!"

She shook her head, her eyes closing for a moment before she looked at him once again. "Why!?"

"To see if we can of course!" he replied as if it should be the most obvious thing in the world.

"What!? That doesn't even make sense!"

"I'm thinking maybe I wanna join black-ops," he said as seriously as he could. "And what better way to see if we've got the right stuff than by sneaking off of an Air Force base to see if we can sneak back onto it again?"

"We!?" she asked. "As unfair as I think it is...last time I checked they still don't let women join black-ops units Danny."

"Hey it's the eighties Sam," he replied reasonably. "All that macho bullshit will end soon and then we can join up together. You do wanna know if you've got what it takes right!?" And he knew he had her again. There was no way Samantha Carter could refuse a challenge.

She sighed loudly and pulled her sneakers on then went to grab her coat. "You know you're going to get me kicked out of the Air Force before I even get into it right?"

Danny snorted as he pushed her window back up. "The blood in your veins is Air Force blue Sam," he said. "There's no way in hell you're not ending up here."

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Sneaking past the gatehouse guard turned out to be surprisingly easy Sam thought as they skirted the perimeter of the parking lot heading towards the road that ran past the base. "Now what?" she asked. "There's nothing for miles, so we might as well just turn around and sneak back in."

"No way!" he cried softly. "There's got to be a diner or something around here, let's see if we can hitch a ride and get a burger and a shake. I'm starving!"

"Danny, it's nearly midnight," she said as she came to a stop at the edge of the road. "We played your little game, now I wanna go back."

"Sam," he said as he turned back to her. "Where's your sense of adventure?"

"It could be hours before a car goes past," she pointed out.

Just then Danny cocked his head. "And what's that I hear?" he asked, a smug smile on his face.

Sam frowned as the engine noise grew louder. "That doesn't sound like a car to me."

They peered up the road towards where the noise was coming from when a single headlight came into view around the bend.

"Aww damn it," Danny exclaimed when the motorbike came into full view.

"Down!" Sam said as she pulled him down to shelter behind the bushes that lined the lot when the bike turned in.

"What's your problem?" he hissed.

"We can't be seen out here you dope!"

"It's probably just some guy pulling in for directions or something!"

Sam rolled her eyes. "Probably," she agreed. "But then the guard is going to come out of the guardhouse to give him those directions isn't he!?"

"Oh! Right!"

The pair watched as the guy parked under the light near the guardhouse and swung one long leg over the bike.

"Check out that ass!" Danny whispered, then grunted when Sam's elbow landed in his ribs.

Twin pairs of blue eyes widened, matching gasps escaping lips as the rider removed his helmet.

"Holy shit!" Danny exclaimed.

"It's Jack," Sam breathed.

"It sure is!" he said a little too loudly.

Jack stopped talking to the gate guard and looked back over his shoulder, sure he had heard something. There was a not so subtle rustling of the bushes and he looked down at his boots and smiled before walking over towards the edge of the lot.

"Okay," he called. "Come on out."

Danny and Sam looked at each other and just as Sam was about to stand up Danny held her down and stood up on his own. He glanced down at her hoping she could see in his eyes that he wanted to take this one for the team.

Jack stared at the sandy headed kid who stood a few yards away from him. "Well c'mere," he said finally when the kid failed to move.

Awkwardly Danny stepped out of the bushes and walked over to stand in front of Jack, his eyes on his sneakers.

"Hey," Jack said, his finger lightly brushing the boys chin making him look up at him. "So what's goin on?"

Danny's heart leapt into his throat when Jacks finger brushed his skin, and he swallowed as he looked into those incredible brown eyes.

"I uh...well I kinda wanted to see if I could sneak past the gate guard," he admitted.

Jack frowned. "Why?"

 _That's what I said!_ Sam thought.

Danny shrugged. "To see if I could sneak back in."

Jack stared at him a moment then grinned. "What's your name kid?"

"Danny...Daniel. Hammond. Sir."

Jack chuckled as he put his arm around Daniel Hammond's shoulders and steered him towards the gatehouse.

"Whoa!" Danny said pulling back from Jack. "You're grassing on me!?"

"Ah, no!" Jack said.

"You're taking me to the guardhouse!" Daniel argued.

"Think about this situation for just a moment Hammond," Jack replied patiently then smiled when the kids face cleared. "Okay, all caught up now are we?"

"The guard can't report me for sneaking out without snitching on himself for not seeing me!"

"Exactly! Now make yourself useful," he said as he threw his duffel at him.

Danny stood next to Jack and tried not to laugh at the look on the guards face when he turned to them.

"Don't worry Johnson," Jack said to the guard. "We won't rat you out." The gate guards jaw dropped and Jack led Danny back inside the base, waiting til he was sure they were out of earshot before he began to laugh. "Did you see the look on the poor guy's face when he saw you standing next to me!?"

Danny smiled really loving the feel of Jacks arm looped around his shoulders. "Is that why you did it? To see the look on his face?"

Jack squeezed Danny's shoulder and pondered his question for a second before answering. "Nah," he replied finally. "I wanted someone to carry my bag, and that wasn't gonna happen unless I took you in through the front door with me." Then after a moment he added: "And besides it gave your buddy a chance to sneak back in too."

Danny opened his mouth to plead innocence then shut it again at the look Jack gave him.

Jack dropped his arm away from the boy when they reached a fork in the path. "Well thanks for the hand Danny," he said as he took his bag. "I'm this way and unless I'm mistaken the barracks are that way?"

Danny smiled and nodded his reply.

Jack smiled brightly at the kid. "I'll catch you later huh?"

"Yes Sir," Danny replied quietly as he watched Jack walk away.

"Psssttt..." Sam rolled her eyes when Danny continued to stare after Jack. When she was sure he was gone she moved out from behind the tree and poked Danny in the side. "Hey!"

Danny turned to her, a silly smile planted firmly on his face. "He. Is. So. AWESOME!"

Sam couldn't help but feel a little jealous that Danny had gotten to talk to Jack and have his arm around him! Twice! She crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him. "What were you thinking Danny!?" she demanded. "You're lucky it went the way it did! He could have had you thrown out!"

"He knew we were there Sam!" he replied indignantly. "He probably would've just been pissed off if neither one of us had come out! And besides you were about to stand up yourself and this means a lot more to you than it does to me..."

She sighed and dropped her arms. "I know, I'm sorry," she said, never able to stay mad at him for long and knowing at the same time that he did what he did for her. "It's just that..."

"What?" he asked, still a little defensive.

She smiled slightly. "I'm incredibly jealous that you got to talk to him!" she admitted.

He continued to look at her a moment before his face broke into a wide grin. "And he put his arm around me!" he gushed. "Did you see it?"

She rolled her eyes and pushed him towards her cabin. "Yes I saw it! And you suck!"

xxxxxxxxxx

Sam rubbed her eyes when she felt movement beside her. "Hey," she said quietly.

"Hey," Danny said from his spot on the side of her bed. He finished pulling his sneakers on and leant over to kiss her on the forehead. "I was trying not to wake you."

"What time is it?"

He looked at the bedside clock. "It's only five," he said. "Go back to sleep, it's another hour til reveille."

"Do you have to go so early?" she asked holding onto him.

He smiled. "Last night you didn't even want me to stay," he reminded her.

"It was nice cuddling up to you all night," she admitted.

"Ditto," he said as he straightened and stood from the bed. "I'll see you in a couple hours at breakfast."

xxxxxxx

A/N

and then there was Jack :-) hope you enjoyed. And remember...reviews are love :-D


	4. Chapter 4

_Previously..._

 _Sam rubbed her eyes when she felt movement beside her. "Hey," she said quietly._

 _"Hey," Danny said from his spot on the side of her bed. He finished pulling his sneakers on and leant over to kiss her on the forehead. "I was trying not to wake you."_

 _"What time is it?"_

 _He looked at the bedside clock. "It's only five," he said. "Go back to sleep, it's another hour til reveille."_

 _"Do you have to go so early?" she asked holding onto him._

 _He smiled. "Last night you didn't even want me to stay," he reminded her._

 _"It was nice cuddling up to you all night," she admitted._

 _"Ditto," he said as he straightened and stood from the bed. "I'll see you in a couple hours at breakfast."_

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Jack slowed to a walk trying to catch his breath. This damn time difference was playing hell with him and he hadn't been able to sleep so he decided to get up early and go for a run. He caught movement out the corner of his eye and frowned when he saw the kid form last night, Danny, emerge from behind a small barracks that wasn't really much bigger than a cabin. He watched the kid walk out of sight towards the main student barracks...which is where he should have ended up last night when Jack left him. He turned back towards his own cabin thinking he'd have to get that particular story out of the kid next time he ran into him.

Which happened late that afternoon. Literally.

Jack felt the air forced out of his body as his back hit the floor, a solid weight landing squarely on top of him. When a mess of sandy blonde hair was moved out of his eyes he came face to face with the young man he happened to be looking for, the annoyance that had flared within him at having been flattened quelled by the sheer look of horrified terror in the boys eyes.

"I...oh, I...shit! Sir! I'm so, so sorry Sir," Danny stammered, his cheeks flaming.

Jack chuckled at the look on the poor kids face and patted him on the arm. "It's okay Danny, really," he assured him. "I mean it was an accident," then he narrowed his eyes. "Right?" He barely managed to keep a straight face as the boys eyes widened even further.

"Yes Sir," he replied. "Of course it was Sir! I'd never..."

"Relax kid," Jack said with a genuine smile. "I was only joking around with you."

Danny let out a breath and relaxed a little against the man who was still pinned beneath him. _God those eyes are just so..._ Then his eyes dropped. _And that mouth..._

Jack felt Danny relax into him and saw something he couldn't quite place come over the kids face. Then as he noticed the young man's eyes lower, his tongue darting out along his lips Jack had an inkling this could be taking an entirely unexpected turn. And when the kid shifted Jack knew that this was taking an entirely inappropriate turn. That's if what he felt pressed into his thigh was any indication.

"Ah...Danny?"

"Yeah?" Danny rasped in return, his eyes never leaving Jacks lips.

"Can you do me a favour?"

"Anything," he breathed, his eyes coming back to Jacks.

Jack smiled, trying to keep this light. _Hey, no big deal...I should be flattered! Right?_ he thought a little dazedly.

"Could you get off me now?" It seemed to take a while for the request to get through, but Jack could see the moment it did.

"Sorry Sir," Danny said as he pushed himself upright, standing up and offering the Captain his hand.

Jack thought about it for only a second before he reached out and grasped Danny's hand letting him help pull him to his feet. If he was having the feelings Jack thought he was, he was probably already having a hard enough time with it as it was without Jack making it any worse.

"Again, I'm really sorry Sir," Danny said as he stood in front of Jack.

"Again...it's okay," Jack said with a smile.

Danny smiled back, his hands stuck deep in his pockets. "Well, I guess I'll see you later."

Jack watched as Danny turned away from him, then remembered he had something he wanted was to talk to him about. "Oh, hey Danny," he called. "Wait up," he said as he took a few paces toward him.

"Yes Sir?"

"This morning, early this morning, I was out for a run and I saw you sneaking out from behind a cabin," he said. "You wanna tell me what that was about?"

"Ah...not really Sir," he said hesitantly, then his face screwed up a little. "Can I even say that to you without getting like court-martialled or something?"

Jack laughed. "You're not actually in the Air Force yet Danny."

"Oh, right," he replied. "If it's okay Sir, I'd still really rather not tell you. It's not...well it kind of has something to do with another student," he admitted. "And I really don't want to get h...them into trouble."

"Ahhh...I see," Jack said with a nod. "And is this the same someone who was outside the gate with you last night?"

Danny swallowed. "Yes Sir."

"That's okay," he said. "You don't have to tell me." He could see the relief wash over the kids face.

"Thanks Sir," Danny murmured.

"But Danny...if you ever want to talk..."

Danny dug his hands deeper in his pockets and nodded his understanding.

"Dismissed." Jack once again watched the sandy haired kid walk away and couldn't help but wonder exactly what was going on.

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Sam's jaw hung wide open. "You're kidding!"

Danny grinned and shook his head as he looked at his best friend. "Nope! I ran smack straight into him and we ended up on the floor in a tangle of long, thick, muscled...limbs..."

"Oh come on! All the good stuff is happening to you," she complained. "I haven't even gotten to speak to him yet!"

Danny did kind of feel bad that Sam hadn't got to speak to Jack but he couldn't shake the silly grin from his face. He sat on the bed next to her and took her hand. "Are you gonna be too pissed at me if I say I might have a little bit of a crush now too?"

Sam stared at him. "Really?"

He nodded. "It's kind of hard not to," he replied. "He's just so..."

"Jack?" she finished for him.

He sighed. "Yeah."

She pulled him into a hug. "No I'm not pissed at you," she said pulling back from him. "But you have to tell me every single detail of what happened."

Danny grinned as he began to tell her about his lucky collision with Jack. "And God Sam, he was just so nice!" he exclaimed. "I mean I can't even imagine what would've happened if it was one of the other instructors. But he just smiled that smile and looked at me with those eyes and..." He grabbed her hand. "He put his hand on my arm and said it was okay."

"And then what happened?" she asked a little breathlessly wishing she had been the one laying on top of Jack. Then an image of Jack being on top of her popped into her head and made her moan just a little.

"Then he asked me to do him a favour..."

"What?" she almost squealed.

Danny smiled. "Get the hell off of him..."

Sam blinked and then laughed out loud. "Oh that's too funny."

"And ah...something else might have happened as well..."

She narrowed her eyes at his tone. "What?" she asked, and was surprised to see him blush.

He shrugged. "I might have, kind of...gotten a little...excited..."

"What do you mean?"

He rolled his eyes at her. "Do I have to spell it out for you?" he asked, a little exasperated that she could be so dense sometimes.

"Ah...yeah. I'm thinking you might..."

"I...got a hard on when I was laying on top of him," he admitted.

Her eyes went round. "Seriously!?"

Danny nodded. "I couldn't exactly help it. The guy is hot!"

"Did he notice?"

He frowned not having thought of the possibility that Jack could have noticed his state of arousal. But when he thought about it he distinctly remembered feeling Jacks thigh beneath him, so there was no way he couldn't have felt him pressed back against him in return.

Danny covered his face with his hands and groaned. "I think I'm gonna be sick..."

Sam didn't understand the sudden change in tone their conversation had taken. "Danny what's wrong?"

He dropped his hands and looked at her. "There's no way Sam," he moaned. "There's no way in hell he couldn't have noticed I got a raging boner cause he was laying under me."

"But he didn't say anything?"

Danny shook his head. "Not a thing."

Sam bit her lip as she stared at her best friend and tried not to laugh.

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Don't you dare laugh Samantha Carter," he ordered her. As her grin slowly widened Danny felt himself start to smile as well, some of his earlier mortification fading. "You know the exact same thing would have happened if it had been you on top of him!"

"It would not!" she said feigning indignity. "I'm too much of a lady for that!"

Danny snorted. "Yeah right! You probably would've put the poor guys eye out with one of those," he said flicking her taught nipple through her shirt.

"Hey!" she cried covering her chest.

Danny sighed. "You think either of us would really stand a chance with a guy like Jack?"

"I don't know Danny," she replied almost sadly. "I've been dreaming about him for so long now, it doesn't feel like it could ever be real."

"God how morbid are we!?" he said after a moment. "Let's go get some dinner. Maybe we'll run into Jack?"

Sam giggled again as she jumped off her bed and headed for her door. "Could you at least try not to hump his leg again this time of we do..."

"Oh my god! You're such a friend!" he cried as he chased her out the door.

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Sam and Danny stooped talking and looked up as someone stopped next to their table. Several someone's actually.

"Hey," the big stupider looking one said. "I'm Barney and this is my pal Dan."

"Hi," Sam replied. "I'm Sam and this is Danny."

The two youths only paid Danny a cursory glance before turning their attention back to Sam. "So there's a dance at the end of the week," Dan said. "You wanna go with me?"

"Thanks, but..."

Dan smiled broadly. "Cool, then it's a date."

"Oh...no, I..."

"Hey, now you're not going to break the poor guys heart by changing your mind are you Sam?" Barney asked as he leaned over the table.

"But I didn't actually say yes," Sam argued.

"Well I heard you say yes," Barney said. "Didn't you Dan?"

"Yep!" Dan confirmed.

Danny rolled his eyes and stood up. "Well if you two morons would clean the trash outta your ears...oh, and develop some manners so that you actually let the lady finish what she was trying to say...then maybe you wouldn't have so much trouble understanding plain English," he ranted. "The lady said no, cause she already has a date!"

They glanced from Danny to Sam and back again. "With who?" Barney demanded, laughing as he added: "You!?"

"Yes actually!"

They looked at each other and laughed, then Dan reached out and grabbed hold of Sam's arm. "Come on, you don't have to sit with this loser..."

Sam shook her arm free. "This loser is my friend..."

"Boyfriend..." Danny corrected giving her a pointed look.

"Right...boyfriend. So, like he said I already have a date for the dance..."

Dan screwed up his face. "There's no way a girl like you goes out with a geek like him," he said as he grabbed for Sam's arm again.

"God get a clue!" Danny yelled as he pushed Dan firmly in the chest, his eyes widening when the other boy tripped backwards over a cleaning cart and toppled unceremoniously onto his ass causing all the dirty dishes to crash to the floor with him. At the commotion everyone in the mess hall turned to stare and after a delayed reaction a roar of laughter erupted.

Barney pulled Dan to his feet and they both glared at Danny. "We'll be seeing you little man," Dan seethed before they walked away.

xxxxxxxxx

"You need to be careful Danny," Sam warned as they walked towards her cabin.

"They're bullies Sam," Danny replied. "And bullies are cowards. You stand up to them...and poof...they're gone..." he explained as they stopped at the bottom of the stairs.

"You should listen to your girlfriend Danny," Barney said as he and Dan stepped out of the shadows.

"Okay, this is the girls barracks and you two need to leave! Right. Now!" Sam warned as she looked between them.

"Or what?" Dan asked as they climbed the steps putting themselves between Sam and Danny and the safety of her door.

Sam stood straight and marched up her steps staring the two down. "Leave! Now!"

Dan stepped right up to Sam. "Make us!" he sneered in her face.

Danny took the steps two at a time and pushed Dan back against the door. "Why don't you just get lost you prick?"

Dan pushed back and Barney stuck his foot out tripping Danny like his friend had tripped at dinner.

Danny tried to regain his balance but hit the edge of the top step, toppling down them backwards. "Ah!" he cried as he hit the bottom.

Sam raced down the steps and dropped to her knees at his side. "Are you okay?"

"I think my ankle is broken," he gasped.

Barney nudged Dan. "Let's get out of here."

Sam stood and blocked their way as they went to move past. "First you're going to tell him you're sorry, then you're both going to help him up and then help me take him to the infirmary.

The two boys looked at each other then back to the girl in front of them. "He just got what was coming to him," Dan sneered. "And we're not helping him with anything."

He didn't even see it coming when Sam punched him hard in the stomach doubling him over before bringing her knee up to his face sitting him on his ass for the second time that night, his lip now split and bleeding.

Without a word Barney pulled Dan to his feet then they both put an arm around Danny and helped take him to the infirmary.

xxxxxxx

A/N

Thanks to those of you who are following. I hope you're enjoying it :-)


	5. Chapter 5

"What's all the commotion?" Jack asked at the morning briefing.

"One of the kids fell down some stairs last night and broke his ankle," Sergeant Barry Thoms told him.

"Ouch! Too bad. Who was it?"

Thoms shrugged. "I hadn't met the kid yet," he replied. "Name is Daniel Hammond."

"Aww crap," Jack mumbled thinking of the sandy haired kid.

"You know him?"

"You could say that," he replied. "Is he still here?"

Thoms nodded. "In the infirmary apparently, waiting for his folks to come get him."

xxxxxxxxx

"I wish you didn't have to go," Sam said, snuggling into Danny's side on his hospital bed.

"Me too," he replied. "But I can't exactly do much here with a broken ankle."

"I'll miss you," she murmured.

He took her by the shoulders and made her look at him. "You need to be brave Sam," he mock sobbed. "You must go on without me..."

Reluctantly she smiled at his attempt to cheer her up.

"And you must complete our mission," he told her solemnly.

She shook her head. "Oh no...there's no way I can do it by myself."

"You have to!" he exclaimed. "And you _have_ to call me every night with an mission report!"

"Danny..."

"Sam come on!" he pleaded. "You'll never have this chance again. You have to do it...for both of us..."

"Okay," she relented. "I'll try."

"No trying Sam," he admonished. "Doing!"

"Okay...doing..."

"Promise me!"

Sam made a crossing motion over her heart. "Promise," she sighed.

"Good, now get out of here."

"I'm not leaving you," she replied. "I'll wait til Uncle George gets here."

Danny raised his brows. "You'll be late for astrophysics class," he pointed out. "In fact you could miss it altogether..." He could see her resolve to stay by his side waiver and he took her hand. "Please go Sam, I'll be fine. George will be here soon."

She hugged him to her and kissed him on the cheek. "I love you," she said, before heading out the door.

"I love you too," he replied softly. "Oh and don't forget to call me with the mission updates!" he called after her.

A moment later Jack stopped in Danny's doorway and looked around. "What mission? And who were you talking to?" he asked with a frown.

Danny's head snapped up at the sound of Jacks voice and he couldn't help the shy smile that stirred on his lips at the thought that he'd come to see him. And he really couldn't help the stirring in his pants at the sight of him standing leant up against the doorframe dressed in his flight suit. _Oh that's hot..._ but then he was a seventeen year old guy. Looking at linoleum made him horny...

"Ah, no one. Sir..."

A smirk pulled at the corner of Jacks mouth. "Same no one?"

Danny bit his lip and looked down. "Yes Sir."

Jack sighed as he pushed off the doorframe and walked over to sit on the kids bed. _Okay, maybe not the smartest move under the circumstances, but he's going home in like an hour so what can it hurt? Right?_

"So you wanna tell me what happened?" Jack asked.

Danny looked up at him. "I fell down the stairs. Sir," he added clearly as afterthought.

Jack didn't say anything, merely raised his eyebrows and stared at the kid.

"Really."

"So it didn't have anything to do with an altercation in the mess last night?" Jack asked.

Danny looked away.

"I saw two of the kids involved in that and one was sporting a pretty impressive black eye and a split lip."

Danny shrugged. "Yeah okay," he admitted. "Since you seem to know anyway."

"So what was it about?" Jack asked. "The mess hall?"

"They were bugging my friend so I stepped up."

"And they pushed you down a flight of stairs?" Jack asked, a little skeptical at the motivation for such an attack. "Danny, if this was about anything else..." he said hoping the kid understood what he was asking. Did the other guys victimise him because they thought he was gay?

Danny shook his head. "It was an accident really," he explained, not really wanting to defend the jerks, but he didn't believe that Dan had pushed him down the steps deliberately. "We ran into them later on and I pushed one of them and he pushed back. I just happened to be too close to the stairs at the time."

Jack looked at him a moment and decided he was probably right about it. "Well from the looks of the guy I saw this morning, you held your own."

Danny sighed. "Yeah well I wish I could take credit for that."

Jack raised his brows again. "Your buddy?"

Danny just nodded his reply.

"You ever gonna tell me who this guy is?"

Then Danny smiled as he shook his head. "I don't care if I get into trouble for fighting Sir. Truth is I really don't think the military life is for me," he admitted. "But my...buddy...it's all they eat, sleep and breath..."

Jack nodded his head and patted Danny on the knee. "You're a loyal friend," Jack said. "That's an admirable trait."

"Thank you Captain."

Jack smiled. "Well since it seems you're never destined to be under my command, we can probably dispense with the formalities. Call me Jack," he enthused. "All my friends do."

Danny's brows rose. "Really? You think we're like, friends?"

"Yeah sure. You're a good kid Danny, I'd be proud to have you as a friend."

Danny's heart was beating too fast and he was kind of having trouble breathing with Jack being so near, sitting on his bed and all. Being so unbelievably nice. Could he really actually...maybe...

Danny swallowed and looked from where Jacks hand still rested on his knee up to his face. "I'm not though, not really."

Jack looked at him a little bemused. "Not what? Not good? Not my friend?"

"Not a kid..." he breathed.

 _Oh! Oh no! Nonononononono...aw crap!_

Jack slowly dropped his hand from Danny's knee and opened his mouth to say... _god what do I say._.. "Ah, Danny..."

"There you are!" A loud Texan voice boomed out. "Are you okay?"

"Hi Colonel," Danny said as he looked at George Hammond standing on the threshold of the room. "I'm okay, a bit embarrassed I guess..."

Jack shot to his feet and faced the superior officer coming to attention. "Colonel Sir!" he said with a salute.

Colonel George Hammond looked over at the uniformed officer. "At ease Captain," he replied. _Captain...Captain? Oh...oh boy,_ he thought as the memory of the overheard'Operation seduce Captain Hot Stuff' came barrelling back into his mind. He'd think about whether to let Jacob in on this little gem later, especially since the chances of Sam going through with any fool scheme without Danny around were pretty slim. Right now he had an injured teenager to worry about.

"Can you tell me what happened to my son Captain?"

Jack cut a quick glance at Danny and could see him pleading with his eyes for him to keep his cover story. "Well Danny says he fell down some steps in the dark last night Sir," Jack replied truthfully. No lie there. "But I wasn't actually there," he added. "I heard about it this morning and thought I'd come see him before he left."

"That was very thoughtful of you Captain," George replied before turning his attention to his son. "Was Sam with you?"

Danny glanced quickly at Jack to see if there was any spark of recognition at the name but he merely stood watching the exchange. "Yes Sir."

George sighed. "Alright, well let's get you home," he said as he pushed a wheel chair forward. "I haven't broken the news to Jacob yet that Sam has to finish out the camp alone."

Danny dropped his head. "I know the General was counting on me to look out for Sam," he said. "I'm sorry I let you both down."

George's expression softened and he placed his hand on Danny's head. "That's okay son," he assured him. "This wasn't your fault and you haven't let us down. I'm sure Sam will be just fine."

Jack cleared his throat causing them both to look over at him. "I'll keep an eye on Sam Sir," he assured the Colonel, even though he had no idea who Sam was, but he was sure it wouldn't be that hard to find out.

George smiled. "Lord knows Sam doesn't need any looking after," he replied. "But I'd be obliged.."

" _We'd_ be obliged..." Danny corrected.

"We'd be obliged if you could."

Jack nodded once really more to assure Danny, rather than the Colonel, that his friend would be okay.

When the Colonel moved to help Danny to the chair Jack moved to the other side of the bed. "Here, let me Sir," he insisted, crouching down a little so that Danny could put an arm around his shoulders, Jacks arm going around his waist as he helped him from the bed to the wheel chair.

Danny watched as Jack crouched at his feet pushing the foot rests of the chair down, and when he was done he patted his knee again as he looked up at him from his position between his legs. _And thank the lord for bulky sweaters,_ Danny thought as he repositioned his on his lap.

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A/N

thanks to all that are reading and have left reviews - glad to know you're enjoying it :-)

Poor Danny having to leave camp, but it's not the last we'll see of him :-)

oh and there's a line in there that may sound familiar to some:

 _'...he was a seventeen year old guy. Looking at linoleum made him horny...'_

Paraphrased from Xander out of Buffy the vampire slayer


	6. Chapter 6

A/N

This is where this story starts to overlap with All Grown Up, so for those of you who have read it, some of this might start to sound familiar. I have used a little of the dialogue from that story, but not much as I didn't just want to write the same story twice. This is a different perspective on some of the same scenes with extra scenes thrown in between.

Hope you enjoy it :-)

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Sam took a deep breath, and then another but no air seemed to be getting into her lungs. Danny would definitely say she was hyperventilating and that she needed to calm down. Just thinking of him seemed to do exactly that and she started to breath more normally as she watched Jack move around the aircraft from her position tucked behind a barrier. _Okay, you can do this Sam..._

And before she could talk herself out of it she moved towards him.

"Excuse me Sir?" she called to him.

"Yes?" Jack replied looking up from his clipboard.

When chocolate eyes met bright blue she smiled. The smile faltered after a moment when he didn't respond further. "Sorry," she apologised uncertainly. "I thought you'd remember me..."

Jacks heart squeezed in his chest at the disappointed look on her face. A look he'd caused. His glance moved over her quickly. A lot had changed about Samantha Carter over the last six or seven years since they'd last met at space camp but those big blue eyes were unmistakable.

"Of course I remember you Carter!" He exclaimed. A huge grin broke over her features at his admission and Jack smiled. "I nearly didn't recognise you," he admitted. "But I could never forget you," he finished softly.

Sam blushed at Jacks words, thinking that he was even more perfect than she remembered.

"C'mere," he said holding his arms wide.

Sam thought she was in heaven as she stepped into his embrace. "You probably just remember me as some goofy little kid," she replied turning her face into his neck. "But I'm all grown up now Jack." Sam breathed in the clean scent of him thinking about how she had dreamed of this moment.

 _Oh boy..._ he thought as she hugged him tightly feeling her lips move against his skin as she spoke. _You can say that again..._

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Jack picked up his dinner tray and turned to face 'the mob', looking around for somewhere to sit he spotted Carter and smiled. As he walked towards her he was surprised to see her talking to the two bozos who were involved in the fracas in here last night. And then he heard what the bozos were saying to her and his lips tightened into a thin line as he proceeded to scare the living shit out of the little creeps, effectively throwing them out of the mess hall.

"You wanna tell me what all that was about?" he asked her after they'd gone.

She shrugged. "They can't resist you obviously."

"Oh obviously," Jack said dryly and settled in to eat his dinner realising he wasn't going to get anymore out of her tonight.

And then it occurred to him. _Sam_. Could Danny's Sam actually be _his_ Carter? With what he'd witnessed tonight with the bozos it certainly seemed to fit and he'd spent a fruitless afternoon looking for a male student named Sam. Of course what didn't exactly fit with his little scenario was that he had come to the conclusion that Danny and Sam were... _involved_... Which of course could still be the case, and would certainly explain Danny appearing from behind what Jack now realised was the female barracks...occupied by only one female as it turned out. And if that was the case then he had been so far off base with the vibe he'd gotten from the kid it was embarrassing, and that made him immensely relieved that Colonel Hammond turned up when he did! Of course he could always just come straight out and ask her about Danny, but he decided against it. Since there were no other Sam's at the camp he was sure it was Carter the Colonel and Danny had been talking about and he was also sure she would _not_ appreciate knowing he was looking out for her, so he decided to just keep his mouth shut and change the subject.

"So you looking forward to going up tomorrow?" he asked, basking in the glow of the smile she gave him in return.

xxxxxxxx

"Pinky's Porno Palace...what's your pleasure?"

"You are so gonna say that to the wrong person one day," Sam warned.

"I've been bored outta my mind waiting for you to call," he whined. "It's a stress relief."

"Oh poor Danny," Sam replied actually meaning it. "How are you feeling?"

"The ankle aches like a bitch without the painkillers so I'm staying hopped up on those for a few days...doctors orders. And I can't get up the stairs so George has made up a bed for me in the study."

"That sucks you're missing out on the rest of camp and when you get home you can't even be in your own room."

"Yeah, but at least that means I have the phone right here so I can live vicariously through you. So, slide me something nice..."

Sam grinned. "I did it Danny!" she exclaimed. "He was out on the Tarmac and I went over and spoke to him."

Danny gripped the phone tighter. "What happened?"

Sam recounted her first meeting with Jack in seven years and Danny sighed into the phone. "Of course he remembered you! And _damn!_ You are _so_ lucky you got to hug him!"

"It was amazing," she gushed.

"What was it like?"

"He just smelled so good and his skin was so soft."

Danny's eyebrows rose. "Skin!?" he exclaimed. "Sam! Why was there skin involved? What aren't you telling me?"

Sam giggled at his response. "When he hugged me I might have _accidentally_ kind of kissed his neck a little bit."

"Oh. My. God! I am dying here! You are literally killing me with this!" he cried. "I wanna come back! Right now! I don't care about the broken ankle!"

"I'm sorry Danny," she commiserated.

"Not your fault," he said miserably. "Do me a favour and kill those two assholes when you see them will you?"

"They were at dinner tonight acting like their loathsome selves as usual," she replied.

"Please tell me you punched Barney this time?" he asked. "Give him and his dick of a friend matching black eyes."

She chuckled at that. "I didn't but Jack caught them being idiots and told them off. Scared the life out of them!" she relayed.

"Alright Jack!" he enthused.

"And then...we had dinner together!"

"Oh! Nice," he said with a smile. "Then what?"

"And then we said goodnight and I came back to call you," she said with a sigh. "But it's so good that I finally got to talk to him!"

Danny smiled into the phone. "Yeah it is," he agreed.

"Hey how did you know Dan had a black eye anyway?" Sam asked after a moment.

A huge grin split Danny's face. "Oh a certain Captain may have come to see me this morning before George came to pick me up."

Sam's eyes widened. "What!? Oh my gosh he's so incredibly nice."

"Yeah he is," Danny agreed again.

"How long did he stay for?" she asked.

"Like half an hour," he told her. "He came straight after you left and stayed until George turned up." Then he started laughing.

"What?"

"He heard me yell out for you to call me with mission updates and he asked what the mission was."

Sam gasped. "Oh no! What did you say?"

Danny cleared his throat and smiled broadly. "Before or after he sat on my bed and put his hand on my knee?"

Her jaw dropped. "What?!" she squeaked.

Danny could just imagine the look on her face right about now. "Calm down girl!" he ordered. "Nothing actually _happened!_ Unfortunately..."

"So what did happen then?"

He shrugged. "He pretty much figured out that I didn't just 'fall' down the steps," he replied. "He also put two and two together and knew it had something to do with the butthead twins, so I just told him what happened," he admitted. "I also said that I didn't think they really meant to push me down the steps."

"Is he going to do anything about it?"

"Sounds like he started doing something about it tonight from what you just told me," he reasoned.

She nodded. "Yeah true," she replied thoughtfully. "So anything else happen?"

Danny shifted on his makeshift bed not sure whether to tell her this next bit because he wasn't sure about it himself. But then, he reasoned, maybe a second perspective was exactly what he needed. He blew out a breath and just spat it out.

"I might have come onto him a bit," he admitted.

Sam's eyebrows hit her hairline. "And you were going to mention this when!?"

"I just did!"

"What did he do? What did he say?"

"He didn't really do or say anything," he replied. "He didn't have time to. It kind of happened right before George turned up, which had him jumping up off the bed to come to attention and salute." He smiled. "Wouldn't mind him saluting me like that..."

"So what did you actually do?" she asked.

"Not much really," he replied. "He said I was a good kid and I just made it clear that I wasn't a kid."

"That's it?"

"It's kind of hard to explain," he told her. "It wasn't really about what I said, it was more the feeling behind it. And with him sitting on my bed and his hand still on my leg..."

"Wow," she breathed.

"Yeah," he sighed. Then something occurred to him. "Oh hey!" he said brightly. "You know he couldn't have been that upset about it!"

"How do you mean?"

"When George went to help me from the bed to the wheelchair to go out to the car, Jack raced around the bed and _insisted_ that George let him help me over instead!"

"Really? Danny that's _gotta_ tell you something!"

"Yeah," he agreed with a grin a mile wide.

"I miss you Danny," she said softly.

"I miss you too honey," he replied. He punched his fist lightly into his bed. "Really sucks I won't get to see Jack again," he said.

Sam frowned knowing exactly how her friend was feeling right now. Then she brightened as a thought occurred to her. "Why don't you come up with my dad at the end of the week to pick me up? Maybe you could see him then?"

Danny sat up a little straighter. "Sam you really are a genius!"

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A/N

So Jack and Sam finally meet again and Danny is still there to cheer here on like the good friend he is :-)

thanks to all those reading and reviewing :-)


	7. Chapter 7

A/N

thanks for reviews guys :-) enjoy

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Sam jumped a little when the phone in her cabin rang.

"Where the hell have you been!?" Danny demanded. "I've been calling you for hours!"

Sam grinned. "Sorry Danny," she replied. "I only just got in."

Even though she couldn't see it he rolled his eyes. "Well duh!"

She took a deep breath, still not even really able to believe the day she'd just had. "I've been out with Jack."

Danny sat up in bed. "Out _this_ late?"

"Yep!" she said with a grin.

He shook his head slightly. "Okay...spill..."

Danny listened as Sam recounted the day she'd spent with Jack, from going up in the prop plane as planned, to the rest of their group getting grounded due to being caught with booze behind the hanger.

"Dumbasses!"

Sam giggled. "That's what Jack said too."

Danny smiled. "So? What happened then?"

"We went up in an F15 Danny!"

He let out a low whistle. "How'd he manage that?"

Sam shrugged. "Not sure," she admitted. "But it was incredible!"

"Yeah, I'll bet," he said quietly.

She frowned slightly at his tone. "We don't have to talk about this if you don't want..."

"Are you kidding!?" he nearly yelled. "Of course I want to! Still doesn't mean I'm not going to be wishing it was me!"

Sam laughed not able to keep the huge grin from her face as she told Danny about cuddling up to Jack on the back of his bike, him buying her dinner at the diner and then bribing the gate guard to let them back in cause they missed curfew.

"You know I am so frigging jealous right now don't you?"

She grinned. "I haven't finished yet..."

"Oh god! I can't believe you got up the nerve to do that!" he cried.

"I still can't believe I did it either!"

"So...oh my god! What did he even _do_ after you kissed him?"

Sam bit her lip. "I didn't wait around to find out," she admitted. "I just did it and then ran as fast as I could back to the cabin."

"God it's like it's really happening Sam," he breathed.

"I know," she agreed. "And I think I get what you were talking about yesterday too you know? Like it wasn't so much what we said...there was just this feeling...I kind of felt like he was seeing me as more than a kid tonight."

"Have you thought about what you'd do if he came over tonight?"

"What!?" she squealed. "What do you mean?"

"Sam!" Danny said sitting up straighter. "You _kissed_ the guy! And you just said yourself that you were sure he wasn't thinking of you like a kid anymore..."

"Yeah..."

Danny rolled his eyes. " _Yeah!_ And so you're in your cabin all by yourself and he's in his cabin...all by himself..."

"You don't really think he'd come over though!" she said. "Do you?"

"Why not!?" he exclaimed. "You're a girl...he sure is a guy..."

"But..."

"But what!?" he asked. "It's what you want isn't it?"

"I...yeah," she admitted. "I mean I think so."

Danny's eyebrows rose. "You think so? You've been dreaming about this for years!"

"I know! You're right," she agreed. "It's just...when we were walking back to my cabin tonight I wanted so badly for him to kiss me, like _really_ properly kiss me Danny, not just a peck on the cheek like I gave him."

"So see? There you go..."

"I wanted him to...but at the same time it scared the living daylights out of me thinking that he might."

He sighed. "I think I can understand that."

"You can?"

"Yeah, sure," he admitted. "I mean...well it's not like I've ever kissed a guy either. I know I want to, sure...but honestly, when I told Jack yesterday that I wasn't a kid...if he had've reacted the way I wanted him to...I probably would've started freaking out!"

Sam giggled. Then she frowned. "You really think he might come over?"

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Jack paced the small area inside his cabin. Then he dropped on his bed and stared at the ceiling. He sighed and got back up, heading out into the night. He got halfway to Carters cabin and stopped, turned back, made it a few paces before he did another one-eighty and stopped. He could see her cabin from here, see there was still a light on...

"What are you doin Jack?" he murmured. He sighed as he pictured himself walking up those steps and knocking on that door. "She's just a kid..."

 _I only wanna talk to her..._

He shook his head not even believing himself.

As he watched, he saw her silhouette move past the window, then her light went out and he suddenly noticed everything was so quiet...he felt like he could be the only person in all the world...

He stood on the path not wanting to go back to his cabin, sometimes he just couldn't stand to be indoors. Instead he moved onto the grass and leant his back against a nearby tree, sliding slowly down the smooth trunk to the ground. Content to be outside...free...where he could stare at the night sky and...just breath...

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Jack tried to maintain his distance from Carter through dinner the way he had when they'd been training that morning, but the look on her face when she noticed him heading for a different table was just too damn much for him to bear. If anyone happened to think they'd been getting too close over the last few days...let them. Tomorrow was the last day of the camp after all and he found he just didn't give a damn what anyone else thought if the result was going to make her sad. So he kind of pretended that he hadn't seen her at first and made the change of direction required to take him to her. The brilliant smile she gave him as he sat down and they quickly fell into their usual easy banter had him grinning back at her, making him feel like he was some damn kid showing off for his girl just to make her smile at him. _Thank your lucky stars tomorrow is the last day of this camp Jack boy...if this was gonna go on much longer you would be in some serious shit!_

"Damn it! Stupid Mario and his stupid tiny legs!" Danny yelled throwing the little hand held Donkey Kong game down on the bed. He was frustrated, and it wasn't just from not being able to get Mario to the next level. He'd been happy that things were going so well for Sam as far as the camp and Jack were concerned, but he was also having a hard time reining in his aggravation at not being there with her. And if he were really honest with himself, his jealousy over all the things Sam was getting to experience with Jack. Not that he begrudged her the experience. God knows she'd had a crush on Jack far longer than he had. But damn if he didn't want some of it too!

Just then the phone rang and he glared at it knowing it was Sam calling, no doubt to tell him all the wonderful things that had happened today with Jack. "Hello?" he answered sullenly.

"Hey Danny," she replied brightly.

"Hey Sam," he sighed.

She frowned. "What's up?"

"Oh you mean apart from being stuck here with a broken ankle while you get swept off your feet by Captain Hot Stuff!?"

Sam winced knowing it must be hard for Danny hearing about all the good things that were happening to her. She knew she'd be absolutely miserable if their roles were reversed. "I'm sorry Danny," she said. "Did you talk to my dad about coming up on Saturday?"

Now she sounded sad and he felt like a creep for bringing her down. "It's me that should be sorry Sam," he said. "I'm being a selfish jerk. And yeah I spoke to him but he said he wasn't sure," he replied.

"How come?"

"Something about maybe making other arrangements." And Danny realised that was probably why he'd been miserable all day after talking to General Carter this morning and finding out his only chance to see Jack again had just gone south.

"Oh."

He tried to get over his own despondent mood so she would talk about her day. She'd had some amazing things happen over the last few days and he had no doubt today would be no different. "So," he said. "What happened today?"

"Nothing much really," she lied.

"Cut the bull, I know you have something ridiculously good to tell me as always and I wanna hear about it!" he replied already in a much better mood.

"Well it didn't start out too good today," Sam replied with a sigh.

"Why, what happened?"

"We went flying again this morning, and that was good of course," she told him. "But you know how he's been really funny and mucking around the last few days?"

"And laying his hands on you every chance he can get?" he joked. "How could I forget?"

"Yeah well today he didn't even really talk to me that much," she replied.

"What'd you do to him?" he wanted to know.

She shrugged. "Nothing that I can think of," she replied. "But when we had dinner tonight he was pretty much back to his normal self, all laughing and joking."

Danny frowned, thinking about what she had told him. "Maybe he was just having a bad day or something?"

"Yeah I guess," she allowed. "What happened when we left the mess after dinner made up for it anyway."

"Did he kiss you!?"

She rolled her eyes. "That's what you always ask!"

"Well did he?"

"No," she admitted. "But it was almost as good. When he was walking me back to my cabin he put his arm around me and pulled me up against him, and we walked like that forever."

"Did he say anything about the dance?"

"No."

"Did you?"

"I asked him if he'd dance with me."

"Oh yeah! Good for you! What'd he say?"

"He reckoned that I'd have too many boys asking me to dance to want to be bothered dancing with him."

"Oh no he did not say that!" he exclaimed. "Are you kidding me? Has the guy ever looked in a mirror!?"

Sam giggled. "With the way his hair sticks up all over the place sometimes, maybe he hasn't..."

Danny laughed. "Yeah," he agreed. "But his hair is like so hot when it does that!"

"Tell me about it!" Sam replied with a sigh. "Makes you want to run your hands right through it."

"So did he end up agreeing to dance with you?"

"Not exactly," she replied. "But he didn't say he wouldn't either. Oh! And it was after I asked him that he put his arm around me!"

"Ha! Well there you go!" he replied. "I reckon he'll dance with you for sure Sam."

"Well I guess we'll find out tomorrow night."

"Guess so," he agreed. "So what happened when you got back to your cabin tonight if he _still_ didn't kiss you goodnight?"

"Well," she smiled broadly knowing what she was about to tell him was going to make his day. His week! "He asked about you."

It took a few seconds for Danny to process what Sam had just said. "He what!? How? I mean why? I mean..." He shook his head slightly trying to calm himself. "Why?"

"I told him that it was really nice of him to go see you in the infirmary before you left."

"And?"

"He went quiet for a few seconds and then he asked how we knew each other and I told him we lived on the same base and that we were best friends."

 _"And!?"_

"And he said that he couldn't let you leave the other day without seeing if you were okay and saying goodbye. He said you were a really nice guy and that he wished out of all the guys here that it hadn't been you that had gotten hurt and had to go home early."

"Oh," he breathed. "Really?"

Sam smiled. "Yeah really."

"That's like...super cool..."

"And _then_ I told him that you were coming up with my dad day after tomorrow..."

"What'd he say?"

"He said that he was really looking forward to seeing you," she replied, her voice bubbling with joy at imparting this bit of news to him. " _And_...he made me promise that I wouldn't let you leave before he got to see you."

Danny fell back on his bed and let out a breath, a huge grin on his face.

Sam listened to dead air for a full twenty seconds. "Hey, you still there?"

"Yeah I'm here," he replied grinning from ear to ear. "I'm just dreaming about Jack saying he can't wait to see me."

"He said he was looking forward to seeing you," she corrected.

"Same thing and shut up!"

Then she remembered what he'd said about her dad maybe not bringing him because of some other plans he might have, whatever that meant. He sounded so happy right now she really didn't want to bring up the fact that he might not be coming up after all.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N

since the rest of the story takes place at the same time as All Grown Up I've been vague about a few things as I didn't want to rewrite that story here, so I hope it all makes sense. And enjoy :-)

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"Come on, come on, come on...answer the phone Sam..." Danny mumbled as he listened to the phone ring. Just as he was about to hang up she picked up.

"Hello," Sam answered a little breathlessly.

"About time!" he exclaimed. "I've been trying to get you for an hour! Your dad is..."

"Here!" she interrupted.

"Ouch," he winced. "Sorry Sam, as soon as I found out he was heading up there I tried to call. They didn't tell me cause Jacob wanted to surprise you by coming up early."

"He did that alright!"

"I almost hate to ask..."

She took a deep breath. "He pretty much ambushed Jack!" she cried. "He saw us joking around down in the training yard...and I may have accidentally lost my balance and fell into Jack while my dad was watching..."

Danny put a hand over his eyes. "Oh no..."

She sighed. "Yeah, and I haven't even had a chance to see Jack since then. Looks like I won't get to see him before the dance tonight."

"Well at least the senior officers aren't going..."

"My dad is," she informed him.

"How come?"

"It sounds like it's the reason he wanted to come up early," she replied. "His little girls first dance and all that."

"See you should have listened to me and come to some of the ones at school...at least to prom..."

"Not helping!"

"Sorry."

"I think I might have salvaged it though," she told him. "He's coming by the cabin..." she looked at the bedside clock. "In about an hour and we're heading over there together. I told him we could dance the first dance together and then..."

"He can leave!" Danny said with a grin. "Brilliant strategy!"

She smiled. "I hope it works out that way, otherwise I doubt Jack will even look in my direction let alone come anywhere near me."

"I wish I could be there to run interference for you," he said.

"I wish you could be here to help me with my hair and my makeup," she replied. "That's what really scares me."

"You'll be fine," he replied. "Just do what Mrs. Briggs showed you."

"Yeah but you were the one who seemed to actually understand what she was talking about."

"True," he agreed, really not able to argue with his best friends lack of skills when it came to this area. "But if you can ace an Air Force astrophysics class surely you can put your hair up and manage to get some makeup on your face."

Sam bit at her bottom lip. "You're right Danny," she agreed. "I just have to stay calm and not panic and it'll all be okay."

He thought she sounded as though she were trying to convince herself of that as much as him.

"Well I guess I'd better let you get to it huh?" he said after a moment. "I think you're going to need every minute of the fifty-five you've got left."

She smiled. "Yeah thanks," she replied. "And Danny, I'm sorry you didn't end up getting to come back up."

"Yeah well," he mumbled. "But don't be thinking about that tonight Sam," he made her promise. "You have the best night of your life to live."

Jack had not long got out of the shower and had only gotten as far as pulling on a pair of white boxer briefs, before he stopped, arms folded across his smooth broad chest as he stood and stared at his uniform laid out on his bed, wondering what the hell he was supposed to do tonight. He didn't want to disappoint Carter by ignoring her and refusing to dance with her...hell he didn't want to disappoint himself by doing that! He'd been preoccupied all night last night and all day today with the thought of actually being able to hold her, pull her close to him...feel her body pressed up against him. But now, after his oh so pleasant little meeting with General Carter this afternoon...

Sergeant Barry Thoms gave a perfunctory knock on his friends door, not waiting for a response before he barged in. "Jesus! Put some clothes on Jack boy!"

He turned and smiled at Thoms. "You're lucky you didn't come barrelling through the door a few minutes earlier," he replied. "And if you'd actually wait for an invitation to enter, maybe I would have put some clothes on."

Barry stared at him. "No, you wouldn't have!" he exclaimed. "God I feel out of shape enough as it is these days without having to look at you with nothing on!"

Jack laughed and turned back to his bed.

"So what's going on?" Barry asked. "We're supposed to be over there in a couple minutes to square everything away. The girls from Camp Chiktaw will be here soon."

Jack shook his head as he pulled on his pants. "I just hate these damn monkey suits we have to wear."

"At least the formal uniform is better than dress blues," he said, and shook his head as Jack finished buttoning his shirt and slipped on his jacket. "I do see why you hate it so much though...you look absolutely hideous in it!" he said sarcastically.

Jack laughed and clapped his friend on the shoulder. "I can't win with you buddy...you don't like me out of my clothes...you don't like me in them..."

Barry shook Jacks hand from his shoulder. "Could you please never say those words to me again," he said with a shudder as they headed out the door.

xxxxxxx

Late that night Jack stood in the middle of Carters room and wondered how the hell he had ended up here. The dance had all really been a bit of a blur...the dumbass boys, the mean girls. Donny Clarke, the seventeen year old kid whose head he nearly ripped off when he put his hand on Carters ass...he seemed to remember that part alright. Dancing with Carter he remembered a little more vividly as well. And then there was his momentous, and maybe not very bright decision to tell her how he felt about her...oh and the kissing of course. And holy cow...that had been some kiss...

And now he stood staring at her back as she nervously fidgeted with her cassette tapes trying to find some music to put on and wondered once again just what the hell he thought he was doing here. He could tell from half way across the room the poor kid was terrified and he knew what he had to do.

 _Ah hell...this is really gonna suck..._

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Colonel George Hammond opened his front door. "Sam," he beamed, his smile faltering as he took in her appearance.

"Hello Sir," she whispered hoarsely. "Could I please see Danny?"

"Of course honey," he replied opening the door wider for her to pass. He watched his goddaughter rush down the hall into his sons room before turning back to see her father coming across the street. "Jacob?"

Jacob Carter shook his head helplessly. "I don't know George," he admitted. "She's been miserable all day. Then as soon as we pulled up at the house she started crying and bolted from the car. So of course I came here," he explained.

George patted his friend on the shoulder. "Coffee?"

Danny looked up as the door to his makeshift room burst open. "Sam!" he said with a smile.

As soon as she laid eyes on him, the dam broke and Sam burst out crying.

He frowned and held out his arms to her. "C'mere," he said quietly, and as she collapsed on the bed he pulled her to him rocking her gently. Danny smoothed his hand over her hair and softly kissed her temple. "Shhh...it's okay..."

When she quietened down to a series of sniffles and hiccups he grabbed a handful of tissues for her. "You want me to get you a drink of water?"

She took a deep breath before answering. "It's okay, I'll get it," she said as she headed into the small bathroom adjoining the study where Danny was currently sleeping.

"Feel better?" he asked as she sat down and settled back against him.

She shook her head and turned her face into his neck.

"I take it the dance didn't go so well?"

"The dance went okay," she replied softly. "I danced with him."

Danny rubbed slow circles on her back, his cheek resting on her head as he waited for her to continue

"I got upset over what some horrible girl said and he followed me outside," and she couldn't help the small smile at the memory of what had happened next. "He told me that he wanted to kiss me...and yes, before you ask...he did..."

He pulled back so he could look her in the face. "Sam, what happened that could make you upset about that!?"

"It's not that I'm upset about," she told him. "The kiss...it was wonderful and amazing and...oh my gosh Danny, I didn't even know I could feel the way he made me feel..."

He smiled. "That's a good thing."

"Yeah," she agreed with a small smile of her own. "Then...he suggested we leave the dance and we went back to my cabin...and...oh Danny!"

Danny stared at her. "Sam...he didn't force you..."

"No!" she cried. "Of course not! Danny how could you even think such a thing!?"

"Well I didn't really think he would," he admitted. "It's just...Sam you're so upset and you said you went back to your cabin..."

She sighed. "It's more like the other way around I suppose."a

"Sam, you're not making sense."

"I know, I'm sorry," she said. "Could we maybe just not talk for a while and I'll tell you everything later?"

"Whatever you want," Danny replied as he pulled Sam to him and laid back on his bed with her cradled in his arms.

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A/N

If you've read All Grown Up that should have made sense if you remember it. If you haven't read it and want to actually find out what happened at the dance and in Sam's room then head over there and read it to find out :-)


	9. Chapter 9

Jack sat in his car a few doors up from Danny's house and waited until Carter had come out and walked off up the block before he got out and approached the door.

"Danny," Colonel George Hammond said as he opened his foster sons door. "There's someone here to see you son."

Danny looked up, his mouth gaping when Captain Hot Stuff himself walked through his door. "Jack! What are you doing here?"

Jack smiled and nodded towards Colonel Hammond as he left closing the door behind him, before he moved over towards Danny. "Well you didn't make it up to camp today," he observed. "And I really did want to see you, talk to you again. So I thought I'd come by...I hope you don't mind?"

Danny smiled. "No! Of course not!" Then the smile faltered as he thought of his very _very_ upset best friend. "Although I kind of wanna punch you in the face right now," he admitted.

Jack smiled ruefully. "And I kinda wish you would..."

The young man frowned a little. "So, are you like into that bondage and whipping stuff or something?"

Jack looked at him and laughed. "Ah, no," he assured him. "It's just...well I'm assuming you know what happened last night?"

"With you and Sam? Oh yeah!"

Jack winced a little. "Everything?"

Danny rolled his eyes. "Yeah everything! She's my best friend! We tell each _everything_!"

Jack nodded looking down.

"Have you come to see Sam too?"

"No," he replied. "General Carter has made his feelings on me having anything to do with Carter pretty well known."

Danny nodded his understanding. "Yeah he's pretty protective of her," he agreed. "Especially since Sam's mom died."

Jack nodded his understanding. "And besides, nothing's changed, so I really wouldn't know what else to say to her," he admitted before moving forward to sit down on the bed. "Does the General know about you two?"

Danny frowned. "What about us?"

"I saw you sneaking out of her cabin that morning, remember?"

His expression cleared as he shook his head. "It's not like that with me and Sam," he assured him. "We're like brother and sister...only not, cause we actually like each other."

Jack chuckled at his words.

"So, you came here to talk to me cause you thought...me and Sam?"

Jack smiled. "No," he replied. "Like I said, I wanted to see you again. I came to see you Danny," he said softly.

Before Danny realised want he was doing he'd leant forward touching his lips to the older man's.

Jack closed his eyes, not jerking his head back but letting himself be kissed for a long moment, maybe even returning it for a split second, his hand coming up to the boys cheek before he pulled back and looked him in the eye.

"Danny..."

"Don't!" Danny exclaimed. "Please...you don't have to say anything. Just...please leave. I'm sorry..."

"Danny look at me, please." Jack waited for him to look up. "I'm the one who's sorry."

"Why?" Danny said. "I'm the freak who came onto you..."

It broke Jacks heart to hear the sudden self loathing in his voice. Then Danny looked back to him again suddenly, eyes wide with fear. "Please...please don't tell the Colonel..."

"Hey...hey calm down," he said to him. "I'm not going to tell anyone anything," he assured him. "And like I said, it's me who's sorry...I'm sorry I can't be what you want me to be..."

Danny already thought Jack was a nice guy, but this seemed a little too understanding. "Why are you being...cool about this?" he asked, curiosity now pushing his fear aside a little. "I thought you'd like...freak out and..."

"And call you names or try to hurt you or something?"

Danny shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. I mean especially being military and all."

Jack sighed, knowing he owed the kid an explanation. "When I was growing up in Minnesota, me and my cousin lived next door to each other," he told him. "We were the same age, did everything together...we were best friends. More like brothers really," he smiled. "Except we liked each other."

Danny smiled back as he settled further into his pillows.

"I guess I always knew he was a little different you know? But it didn't bother me, I never even really thought about it...he was just Graeme...had always been Graeme my whole life..."

He paused for a while and Danny wasn't sure if he was going to go on, when he started to speak again.

"Early Spring nineteen sixty eight, we were a few years younger than you are now...Graeme kind of mistook the feelings of another of our friends and, well I don't know I guess he tried to kiss him or something, but word got out about it and ah...a few days later we were walking home from school across the frozen lake behind where we lived and we were met by about a dozen kids."

Danny sat wrapt listening to Jacks story.

"It ah...it didn't end well. They surrounded us, started calling him names, throwing stuff at him. Then they started chasing him and he got so scared he ran out onto the thin ice."

"What happened?"

Jack took a deep breath. He hadn't told this story to anyone since the hospital and the police seventeen years ago. "I tried to stop them, get them to leave him alone...but I couldn't protect him...I couldn't save him. Two broken elbows and this lovely little reminder later," he said pointing to the scar that split his left eyebrow.

Danny reached out and smoothed his thumb over the spot and Jack subconsciously turned into his hand. "What did the police do?"

Jack shook his head. "Nothing! Or as good as! They got put on good behaviour!"

"But..." Danny didn't have the words. "But...they _killed_ him!"

"That's the way I saw it too...still see it, but the cops said that Graeme went out onto the thin ice all by himself so it was really his own fault he died."

"Jack...I'm so sorry," Danny whispered as he pulled the older man to him.

Jack swallowed past the lump in is throat and held on to the young man in front of him. Finally he pushed back and looked at Danny again. "It's different now Danny," he said, his voice stronger. "If it happened again now I _could_ protect him...even against twelve guys..."

Danny nodded, fairly certain Jack opening up to him about this hadn't been all about explaining his being so understanding about...stuff...

"You're a great kid Danny," he said. "And like I said, I really do wish I could be that person for you...I can't. But I can be your friend if you'll let me, if you ever need anyone to talk to or to..."

A ghost of a smile played across Danny's lips. "Protect me?"

Jack returned the smile and nodded. "Yeah," he said, his voice a little hoarse. "Anytime you need me kid, for whatever reason...you call..."

Danny was incredibly grateful for Jacks words, but the whole thing had stayed serious for long enough. He gave Jack a cheeky little smirk. " _Whatever reason!?_ "

Jack rolled his eyes, recognising his attempts to lighten their very somber mood he shoved Danny in the chest making him fall back onto his bed. "Don't push your luck kid!"

Danny grinned. "Yeah okay," he agreed. "But like it or not Jack...I'm counting that as my first official kiss..."

Jack smiled. "Well I think I can live with that honour," he replied, never imagining he'd ever end up being the first kiss of two different teenagers in less than twenty four hours.


	10. Epilogue

Danny and Sam only spoke about Jack a few times after that day. He didn't think it was a good idea to tell her that Jack had come to visit him so he never got to tell her about the kiss either, which probably wasn't a bad thing under the circumstances. Sam was a bit down for what remained of the summer, but once it was time to really start thinking about getting packed up to head off to school she seemed to pick up a bit, like she could actually see that what happened with Jack wasn't the end of the world, and her life was really only just beginning, though as far as Danny could tell boys weren't factoring too highly into that life.

There was a horn beeping outside and Danny rushed out to see General Carter and Sam all packed up ready to drive to Colorado to the Academy.

He walked over to her and they pulled each other into a hug.

"I'm gonna miss you Danny," Sam whispered.

"Me too honey," he replied.

"Sam come on we have to get going," Jacob called.

They broke apart and Danny gave her a chaste kiss on the lips. "I love you Sam." He breathed a heavy sigh and smiled as best he could feeling for all the world like he was losing his best friend forever. "You knock em dead at that stuffy old Academy," he said.

She smiled. "I love you too Danny, and I'll sure try."

"No trying Sam! Doing, remember? You're gonna show em something they've never seen before."

They shared one more quick hug and Sam jumped in the car, Danny watching all the way up street until the car went out of sight.

Danny tried to call Jack a few months later, just to let him know that he was okay and that Colonel Hammond was getting stationed to Germany to a command position, complete with a shiny new promotion to Brigadier General. But probably the main thing he wanted him to know was that he was staying behind and going to Stanford because they had such a great archaeology department, and as much as he loved George and was grateful for what he'd done for him these last years he'd decided to start using his real parents name again, so if Jack ever tried to get in touch with him he'd never find Danny Hammond, he'd have to look for Daniel Jackson. But it turned out he wasn't at the number he gave Danny anymore, which wasn't unusual in the military, but when he contacted the Air Force they said that they were not at liberty to give out any information on _Major_ O'Neill and that for the foreseeable future he was not contactable.

Daniel replaced the receiver and just stood for a moment wondering what was going on with Jack and hoping that he was okay.

"Daniel, come on we're going to be late," his friend Sarah said pulling him away from the phone and his thoughts. He smiled at her letting her drag him along and thought for the first time himself that maybe there really was life after Jack O'Neill.

xxxxxxx

A/N

hope you enjoyed :-)


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